The present invention relates to a load lifting attachment for use with a front end loader or tractor which is designed to handle various type of materials, such as loose materials, oversized singular bulky loads, for example broken pieces of concrete, asphalt, trees and the like.
Different attachments for front loaders are known to have been used for handling of loose granular materials, smaller size singular pieces, such attachments usually comprising a bucket- or scoop-type implements which are provided with a bottom and end walls defining the lateral dimensions of the implement.
However, it has been found that the end walls cause a certain inconvenience in handling large objects, such as trees, since the lateral dimensions of the bucket are limited by the confines of the end walls of the bucket.
To solve this problem a number of various solutions have been suggested, one of the most common solutions being the use of a fork lift adapter which is attached to the leading edge of the bucket at laterally spaced locations and extends forward from the leading edge during use. The tines of the fork may be two or more in number. Some of the adapters provide for the tines to be folded, pivoting about the point of their attachment to the bucket.
Such adapters cannot handle loose material and need to be disengaged from the bucket when such type of materials must be handled. Attachment of the adapters back to the bucket requires time, which adversely affects the cost of the use of equipment.
The present invention contemplates elimination of the drawbacks of the know solutions and provision of a more universal attachment for front end loaders which does not require any extensive modification of the front loader itself.